The Florida House Finance & Tax appropriations committee voted 18-0 on a bill that would reduce taxes and fees on motor vehicle licenses by $25.05 for heavy weight vehicles, $21.55 for middle weight vehicles, and $18.55 for light weight vehicle.

Also, Scott recommended reducing the fees by $401 million. That bigger number had a better chance of drawing attention to the fees, which were raised in 2009 when Charlie Crist, his 2014 opponent, was governor. They were made then to plug massive holes in the budget left by the recession, and Crist has said he wonders why Scott and lawmakers didn't reduce them sooner.

Negron said he intially propsed a smaller cut in the fee because it was only a starting point.

“As we talked with our friends in the House, the governor has been very persuasive on his plan,” Negron told reporters. “”This is the best way to get direct relief that people will feel at home. And so, that was our decision to get close to the $400 million mark.”

Scott immediately showed his gratitude.

“I want to thank members of the Senate Appropriations Committee as well as the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee for their support in undoing the 2009 tax increases by reducing motor vehicle fees,” Scott said in a statement. “This tax cut will give families back $400 million of their own money.”

Though the savings are modest on a per-vehicle basis and companies with large fleets are the big winners, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are touting the cuts as a consumer-friendly move.

“Reducing the fees associated with registering a car will help make owning a car more affordable for everyone,” said the committee chair, Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, in a statement.

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